Orthopedic appliance and device



. April 15 1924.

R. D. GLASGOW ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE AND DEVICE Filed Jan. 13 1922 Patented Apr. 15, T1824.

ROBERT 1). GLASGOW, OF URBANA, ILLINOIS.

ORTHOlEDIO AEPLIANGE AND DEVICE.

Application filed January 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT D. GLASGOW,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orthopedic Appliances and Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in orthopedic appliances and devices by which limbs or other parts of the human body can be properlysupported when support is required, and they and the neighboring parts can be kept in proper relation. They are useful when either of the companion parts constituting ajoint has been injured or when one or more of them becomes diseased and it is necessary to provide supplemental supporting and holding devices.

Other appliances have been used for such purposes, but serious difiiculties of one sort or another have been incident to all of the earlier mechanisms within my knowledge because of the limitations or restrictions in the relative movements of the parts of the j oints where they have been applied.

The object of the present invention is to provide ample support for the limb or other structure and the adjacent parts of any joint which is movable in more than one plane, and at the same time provide for normal movement of the limb or other movable part while the appliance is acting as a support.

In the drawings I have shown one form of the appliance embodying my improvements, the one here selected for illustration being especially adapted for use in connection with the parts at the hip joint.

Fig. 1 illustrates the appliance in front view with the several parts in the relative positions occupied by them when'secured to the body at points adjacent the hip on the left side; I

Fig. 2 is a view of the same when seen from the rear; i

Fig. 3 illustrates it as seen when looking from the left;

' Fig. e, showsone of the pivoting devices detached; and

Fig. 5 illustratesa section of the same on the line 55, Fig. 4c.

Considered. asan entirety, the appliance comprises a main upper support or frame element indicated by 1, surrounding and sein or near the waist line.

Serial No. 528,990.

cured to the body of the wearer, a companion supporting element 2 fitted, in this case, to the leg, and, intermediate to these, a coupling mechanism indicated as an entirety by 3. The upper frame element 1 may, as concerns its details, be of any suitable characand the latter being connected by a strap and buckle at 1'.

The coupling device, indicated as an entirety, as aforesaid, bythe numeral 3, comprises bars or strips 4 and 5. That indicated by 4 extends around the upper part of the thigh froma point at 8 near the median plane of the body to a point at 9 and is movably connected to the leg element 2 of the support. This part 4 can be supported from the leg element 2 in any suitable way.

I have shown it as being carried by an upright bar 6 which is rigidly secured to the element 2 of the frame and extends a suitable distance upward to points where its upper end is connected to the bar 4 by a pivot at 7. The part 5 is a curved bar or strip which also extends from the point 8 in front of the body to the point 9, buthaving its central part extended up to points parts 4 and 5 are connected by approximately horizontal pivots, thesebeing at the points 8 and 9. I p

The top part or apex 1d of the bend in bar 5 is pivotally or movably connected to the supporting element 1. As shown, there is a spindle or journal 15 carried by the element 5 and fitted in a short tubular bearing 16 which is adjustably secured to said frame element.

17 is a rotary plate connected to the part 1 by a pivot at 1 8 and provided with ears 20. In the latter the tubular bearing 16 is held by pivot lugs 21. The bar 5 can be bodily adjusted forward or backward by means of the screw 22 which engages with 3. lug 23 on the frame part 1 andpositioned to bear against the lug or ear 24 on the rotary plate 17. And this part 5 can also be adjusted around the axis of the pivot at 21 At theirends the by the screw 25 bearing against lug 26 on the plate 17 and engaging with the upper part of the tubular bearing 16.

It will be seen that the axes of all of the important pivotal connections intersect each other at the center of rotation of the head of the femur, the latter being indicated by dotted lines at 10 and 11. That is to say, the axial line 12, 12 of the pivots at 8 and 9, intersects the axial line 13, 13 of the pivot 7 and also the axial line 27, 27 of the pintle or spindle 15.

With outward and inward movements of the leg, the parts of the supporting device rotate around the line 12, 12; with movements of the leg forward and backward rotation is around the line 13, 18, and when the foot is moved in a curvilinear path, the parts of the supporting device rotate around the axialline 27, 27.

That is to say, all of the normal movements of the limb are permitted while support is uniformly given to the limb in all of its positions.

The pivot union at 15 and 16 has its parts so related that they can be also used to accomplish another important end. In many abnormal conditions of certain joints it is desirable to reduce or to increase the pressure of the male element of the joint, such as the head 10 of the femur. upon the female element, which results from the weight of the body bearing upon the surface parts of these elements or from the tension of muscles, ligaments, or the like.

With the devices described, I can readily bring forces to bear which act to reduce or to increase the pressure or compression at the surfaces of the joint parts without in any way limiting the normal movements of these parts in their relation to each other by adjusting properly one or both of the screws 25 and 22. By means of the former screw the lower ends of the coupler bar 5 can be swung outward to the extent desired, this in turn pushing the bar 6 of the frame element 2 outward; and this finally results in producing tension in a lateral direction at'the joint. By adjusting this same screw in the opposite direction the tension can be relieved.

While I have abovedescribed, somewhat in detail, a specific form of the mechanism such as I now prefer to use, it is to be understood that the essential features of the invention are not limited thereto as there can be numerous modifications made without departing from the essential matters. And again it is to be noted that while I have shown and described a mechanism specially designed for use at the hip joint, the samecbaracteristic features of construction and relationship can be embodied in devices to be applied to the shoulder or other joints.

What I claim is:

1. In an orthopedic appliance of the class described for supporting joint members, one supporting frame element adapted to be secured to one member of a joint, another supporting frame element adapted to be secured to the other member of the joint, and a cou pling device interposed between said supporting frame elements and comprising two members pivoted together and respectively pivoted to the supporting frame elements,

the axis of the devices connecting the two coupler elements together and the axes of the devices which join the two coupler elements respectively to the corresponding supporting frame elements, all three intersecting at the center of rotation of the joint.

2. In an orthopedic appliance of the class described for supporting joint members, the combination with a supporting frame element adapted to be secured to one member of the joint, and another supporting frame element adapted to be secured to the other member of the joint, of a two-member coupling device, one member of which is pivotally connected to one of the supporting frame, elements, and the other element of which is pivotally connected to the other supporting frame element, the axes of the two pivotal connections intersecting at the center of rotation of the joint.

3. In an orthopedic appliance of the class described for supporting joint members, the

combination with two supporting frame ele ments adapted to be secured to the two members of the joint, and to serve as abutments, one on one side of the joint and the other on the other side, a two-member coupling having one member pivotally connected to one of the said frame elements with the axis of rotation passing through the center of rotation of the joint, and the other member being pivoted to the other frame element with the axis of rotation passing through said center of rotation of the joint and the two members being pivetally joined together with the axis of rotation also passing through the said center of rotation of the joint.

4. In an orthopedic appliance of the class described, the combination of two supporting frame elements adapted to be secured to the two relatively movable members of the.

joint to serve as abutments, an intermediate coupling device comprising two members both positioned outside of the body on lines adjacent to the joint and pivoted together with the axis of rotation passing through the center of rotation of the joint, each of said members being pivotally connected with one of the two supporting frame elements, each with an axis of rotation which intersects the axis of rotation of the other at the center of rotation of the joint, the devices for pivotally connecting the coupler to one of the frame elements being adjustable to vary the position of the point of intersection which normally coincides with the said of the body on lines adjacent to the joint, 10 center of rotation of the joint. and pivotally connected to each of the two 5. In an orthopedic appliance of the class supporting frame elements in such a manner described for supporting joint members, the that the two resulting axes of rotation inter- 5 combination with two supporting frame elesect at a point which coincides with the cenments adapted to be secured to the two relater of rotation of the joint. 15 tively movable members of the joint to serve In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my as abutments, an intermediate coupler comsignature. prising a single member, positioned outside ROBERT D. GLASGOW. 

